CAB-LA: What you need to know about the new HIV two-monthly injection
The new injection is believed to be a game changer in the fight against HIV.
Each year, almost one-million people die from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS, and in some countries, it's the leading cause of death, reports Our World In Data organisation.
HIV attacks the body's immune system. The virus targets the body's white blood cells, weakening the immune system and this makes it easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections, and some cancers, reports the World Health Organisation.
Over the years, health experts have been working hard to come up with several treatments and preventions against the virus.
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The latest ground-breaking discovery is the CAB-LA injection.
CAB-LA is said to be a highly effective prevention option for people at substantial risk of HIV infection. It is injected twice a year into the buttocks.
A report by the Associated Press on July 24 states that the 'twice-yearly shots used to treat AIDS were 100% effective in preventing new infections in women'.
The report adds that there were 'no infections in the young women and girls that got the shots in a study of about 5,000 in South Africa and Uganda'.
The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed at an AIDS conference in Munich, reports AP.
How CAB-LA works is that after being injected, it releases the antiretroviral drug, cabotegravir, over a period of two months into the blood. This reportedly 'can virtually eliminate a person's chances of contracting HIV through sexual intercourse', reports News 24.
The publication adds that 'before the end of the year, 867 government health facilities will start to roll out the two-monthly HIV prevention injection CAB-LA, using 96 000 doses donated by the US government'.
READ: World Aids Day: How HIV/AIDS affects one's mental health
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Disclaimer: Health-related information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems. It is always advisable to consult with your doctor on any health-related issues.
Image courtesy of iStock/ @jarun011